Move to content
European Social Fund 2007-2013 logo Leverage from the EU 2014-2020 logo Centre for Economic Development, Transport and the Environment logo

Green Care and Farm Education

The aim of the project is to promote communication among different actors concerning nature- and farm assisted welfare and educational services in the region of Ostrobothnia and Central Ostrobothnia.

Branch: Entrepreneurship and business

Duration: 22.06.2015 – 21.06.2018

Region: Central Ostrobothnia / Ostrobothnia

Financed by: European Union European Social Fund, Centre for Economic Development, Transport and the Environment

Further information: Lena Enlund, project designer, +358 44 725 0594, lena.enlund@centria.fi

Project Manager: Lena Enlund

A Green Care and Farm Education – Development Project

This development project (4.2016-3.2019) is coordinated by Natural Resources Institute Finland (Luke) in cooperation with University of Vasa and Centria University of Applied Sciences. The aim of the project is to promote communication among different actors concerning nature- and farm assisted welfare and educational services in the region of Ostrobothnia and Central Ostrobothnia. Other aims are to enhance local examples, reinforce the regional networking and building new contact areas between clients and those offering services.

In this project, service models taking local circumstances into account are developed and a virtual toolkit is produced in order to promote and develop those services. Alongside the above mentioned pilotes, there will be created a Blue Care welfare and educational concept which takes into account the unique nature, culture and competence, as well as the needs of the clients by creating a concept that especially makes use of the water environments of the UNESCO World Nature Heritage area, Kvarken Archipelago.

In the research part of the project, the prerequisites for activities of Green and Blue Care will be studied in the ongoing change of the structures in Finnish social and health care system.

Study Module in Green Care and Farm Education

The aim of the project is to develop a study module, first of its kind in Green Care and Farm Education in the Swedish language. Green Care and Farm Education are already well-established forms of rural business in the other Nordic countries. Especially within the Green Care, the customers consist of actors of social- and health care sector but also private individuals who buy precautionary and rehabilitating nature- and farm assisted services from these kinds of rural enterprises. The customers in Farm Education are mainly schools and daycare who buy services in accordance with pedagogical criteria and curriculum. Also in Finland, research and development of Green Care has been conducted but competence building, education and productification are not yet developed.

The purpose of the project is to enhance the skills of the participators in order to implement a social innovation like Green Care and Farm Education. As tailor-made specific education, this study module will be directed to several different actors, e.g. potential Green Care-enterpreneurs, educators, personnel of social- and health care, councellors, students of social work and other students. The participators in the study module will receive specific basic education for starting activities in the field of Green Care and Farm Education or go into specialized studies elsewhere.

Green Care model for higher education

The aim of the project is to develop a coherent education model for the Green Care-industry within a network of higher education institutions. Project activities consist of developing and testing Green Care courses, arranging simultaneously course study days at the involved campuses. Producing materials and assessments. Expected results will be increased Green Care knowledge in the form of courses, a new educational model, a national network combined with higher educational organisations and Green Care experts from different regions and industries.